Fastener



j Patented June 17, V193() Y OF PROVIDENOE, RHODE ISLAND, A.

ISLAND, ASSIGNOlR TO IFULFORD CORPORATION OF IRI-IODE ISLAND l.

rnsrnnna v Appnafion filedreeember 5, 192s. serial Nd. 323,962;

This invention relates to an improved construction of fastener, more particularly adaptedv for releasably securing together parts of containers such as hand bags and the like, but which may be used for other purposes for which itis adapted; and the object of this invention is to provide a fastener of this character having a keeper member witha catchwhich may be secured to one part ofthe bag anda cooperating clasp member secured to the other part of the bag, the clasp member comprising a pair of spring pressed jaws to receive/and releasably retain thecatch on thejcther part of the bag, and to provide a presser handle' on one of thejaws for'opening the same.

"A further object of the invention is to provide a clasp member with a lower jaw'plate adapted to'passthru the catch of the keeper and an upper jaw'having aninclined open ing to receive the catch and when pressed forwardly toopen automatically and engagethe catch. This jaw also. being provided with a presser handle foropening the jaws to release the catch. f f The invention still furtherconsists in the provision of a jaw plate havingT one end adapted to pass thru the catch and an opposite end portion to be attached to a bag part and a cooperating shaped' to provideV an inclined passageway between the jaws, whereby the pressing forward ofthe clasp causes the catch which enters between Y and secure, a part of the bag between these the two jaws to Vsnap into the notch in the upper jaw and to provide a second' fastening and guardv plate to cooperate with the fastener port-ionof the lower jaw Aplate to `'receive plates. j

With these and other objectsin view, the invention consists of certain novel features of constructionjas willnbe" more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the Vaccompanying drawings: j

'F ig. l is al perspective `view' showing my improved fastener L as applied `to aladys handbag. Y f I Fig. 2 is 'avfaceview of the lower jaw Fig. 3 is a section online 3-3 of lFiga@ thru the jaw `plate showing one of the hinge ears.

fFig. is ra top view of the swinging jaw.

Fig. 5 `is av section on linea-5 of Figli thru-this upper swinging jaw showing the' inclined catch engaging surface @andthe notch in the jaw, also showingthe hinge pin and the presser or operatinghandle: i

Fig. 6 is a face View ofthe cooperating attaching plate. i

Fig.` 7 is a section on line 7-7 of FigL-G `showing the'joint ear'thru'which this attachingA pla-te is connected to thejaw hinge. Fig. 8 is a perspective vView ofthe keeper memberwhich comprises an attaching'plate carrying a loop-shaped catch.` l Fig. 9 is a section thru this attaching plate, its catch and its attaching prongs. i 5 f Fig. 10 is a face view of the fastener in en` gaging position. i

ig. ll is a sectional the jaws of the fastener, one as having passed thru the catch andthe other as having been raisedV and in the actof ysliding over the catch. y j 'j Fig.4 12 shows the jaw as having closed. overthe catch, thecatch Vbeing retained in the notch in the jaw and a portion of the bag as secured between the cooperating `at`` taching lates of the fastener. j j' Itis 'ound inthe practical use ofbag fasteners such for instance as those. employed edge view showing for securing the Vflap of a hand bag in-closed' position, ofadvantage tolbe able to press one part of thefastener towards lthe'other part ofthe fastener andha've them autornati` i cally attach themselves one to the other so thatrit willf be only necessary to apply aslight pressurelon the clasp. handle to ,permit them to be released oneV from the other also itis found of advantagelto provide a guard about the presser member 'to-c prevent it from catching in adjacent articles and also to prevent it from being accidentallyoperated to inadvertently releasethe parts of the bau; and to accomplish thisin a simple and e e'ctiveway, I have fastened the catch carrying keeper plate to one part of the bag and I. have fastened the'claspmember of the fastener to the other part oflthe bag, the clasp member being )rovided with a thin lower jaw plate whiclh is adapted to pass thru theV slightly raised catch while by a slight forward pressure the inclined surface on the cooperating aw slides over .the catch and receives the catch in the notch formed in this jaw. It is necessary now to apply only a slight pressure on the operating handl'eofJthe upper lja'w 'to release the fastener parts so that Ythe flap olf the Ybag may be opened; and the following is a detailed description of the present embodiment of Amyl invention and showing one meansby which these advantageous results may ybeA accomplished I With reference to the draw-ings, 15y designates the keeper plate which is provided with la plurality of prongs 16 adapted to pass thru .and be folded beneathjthe stock ofthe body portion 17 -of the beg tofirmly securethis plate thereto;

vFrom-the stock of this fplate I have raised a strip of metal, as at 18,to provide a lcatch for the reception of the claspV jaw, the .catch being raised but a slight distance above the plane ofthe plateso as `tota-ke up the minimum amount -of space.

To the edge of the flapportion 19 of the bag, I have secured theclasp memberof the fastener., ,which comprises a Alower jaw plate 21 having a thin forwardly projecting cooperating jaw Vportion 22 adapted 'to slide thruthe catch, as best illustrated in Figs. 1-1 and 12, also this plate is provided with a rear attaching portionj23 having holes 24, by which it may be sewed or riveted `to theflap of the bag. Intermediate the forward an-d, the rear portions of :this plate,I vhave vfolded up pivot hingel ears 2d which are pierced as atr 25 to receivethe pivot pin 2.6. Y To cooperate with this lower jaw, I have provided an upper aw member 27, the same being vprovided with `a `marinal flange 28 which vis turned inwardly about its edge. This flange is formed to provide side ears pierced fat E2.9 to receive the hinge pivot pin 26. The flange at the forward portion of thejaw is cut back on an incline :as at 30, so as v.to provide an entering space 31 between this aw )and the lower jaw, the .space being `of a `Width a little greater than the thickness rof the stock of the catch 18 and Ya short distance back .fromthe entering end of this vjaw; -I have notched lthe side `flanges l as .at .3771a .so that when 4this jaw is :pressed forwardly the catch 18 enters thev space 31V yand `rides under the inclined portion B2 .of this jaw, which aw nnder-.actionofi-ts sprin-g33 closes as soon as .the catch has entered the Vnotch 81% thereby ,firmly dretaining the catch in the jaw :and so preventing theflap of lthe bag fmom becoming inadvertently fdisengaged from the-body Yportion thereof'. i

This attaching plate 35 has a central cutout portion 36 to receive the operating handle 34 of the upper jaw 27 and is provided with' downwardly-extending hinge earsv 37 pierced at 38 to receive the )aw hinge pin 26 by whichthis attaching plate is connected to the fastener.

This attaching plate `in addition to being connected to the flap of the bag also serves as a simple and effective guard for the operating handle 3d of the upper jaw so vas to prevent adjacent articles from getting caught inA the handle portion of the upper jaw vas the flange 28 of this handle portion never rises above the plane of this attaching guard plate.

My improved fastener is extremely simple and practical in construction and is effective in its operationA and by its use one part of the bag may be securely attached Vto the other part thereof and yet maybe readily released therefrom and by the .particular formation of the jaws of jthe clasp by exerting slight forward pressure of the fastener parts, the clasp will automatically open to receive and engage .the catch and close over the-same, it being only necessary to apply a slight pressure to the operating handle of the clasp to release the fastener when it is desired to open the bag.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes .to which -thedevice is susceptible, the'invention being defined and limited only by the .terms ofthe appended claims.

lI claim:

1. A V'fastener comprising in combination a -clasp member and a cooperating keeper member with a loop-shaped .catch,.said clasp member having a body portion for vextending through -the .catch Aand spring-pressed notched catch-engaging jaws to receive 4and retain said keeper, and means in ,said keeper member and in said clasp member. for attaching them to dierent partsof 1an article to releasably .secure these parts together.

2. A fastener comprising in combination a keeper member having a loop-shaped catch, a cooperating clasp member 'having a bodyv portion for .extending `through the catch and a pair of spring-pressed catchclined back from its end Y member having receiving Vthe jaws to receive the catch in said notch,

means in both the keeperfmember and the clasp member by which they may be attached to opposite parts of an article to releasably secure these parts together, Aand aV presser handle for opening 'said jaws.

3. A fastener vcomprising in combination a keeper plate having a loop-shaped catch above the plane of its surface-and a cooperating clasp member having a body portion for extending through the catch and notched jaws with inclined engaging surfaces spaced at their entering ends to receive. and guide said keeper catch between them back into said notch to releasably retain the same when forced thereover, means for attaching the lkeeper plate to one part of an article, means for attaching said clasp member to another part of the article whereby these parts are detachably connected together, and a presser handle for opening said jaws.

4. A fastener comprising in combination a keeper vplate havingV an integral loopshaped catch raised from the stockabove the plane of its surface and a cooperating clasp member having a thinljaw plate to slide thru said catch and a cooperating jaw an inturned notchedV edge flange with an inclined engaging surface spaced fromv the plate jaw at its entering end to receive said keeper catch and guide it back into said notch when the two members are forced together, and a presser handle for opening said jaws.

`5. A bag fastener comprising in combination a keeper plate, means by which it may be attached to one part ofthe bag, said plate having a keeper loop-shaped catch raised above its outer surface and a clasp member having a lower jaw plate shaped at one end to extend thru said catch and at its other end to be attached to one part of the bag, a cooperating upper jaw pivoted to the lower jaw and having a marginal flange notched back from its end portion and into `said notch spacing the entering ends of said jaws apart to receive said keeper catch and guide it backY into said notch when forced forward, a spring'for closing the jaws, and a presser Ihandle for opening said jaws.

6. A bag fastener comprising in combination a keeper plate having means by which it may be attached to one part of the bag, said plate having a keeper catch raised above its outer surface and a clasp member having a lower jaw plate shaped at one end to eX- tend thru said loop and at its other end to beattached to one part of the bag, a coopbe attached. 1 j In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

erating upper jaw pivoted to the lower jaw and having a marginal flange notched back from its entering end and inclined back from this end to said notch spacing the entering ends of said jaws apart to receive said keeper catch and guide it back into said notch, a spring forclosing the jaws, a presser handle for opening said jaws, and an attaching plate spaced from and cooperating with the attaching portion of the lower jaw plate between which a portion of the bag may be secured.

7. A bag fastener comprising in combinal tion, a keeper plate to be secured to one part of the bag and having a catch thereon, a cooperating clasp member havin@ a jaw plate to extend thru Vsaid catch with means at its opposite end, a cooperating spring pressed notched jaw to grasp said catch, a presser handle for opening said jaws, and a securing plate spaced from the jaw plate and attached which two plates another part of the bag NICOLAS SACCOCCIA.

thereto between securing f 

